Memphis weather service sends team to assess Wynne storm damage

Wynne High School sign in front of school buildings damaged when a tornado swept through the community on Friday, March 31, 2023 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)
Wynne High School sign in front of school buildings damaged when a tornado swept through the community on Friday, March 31, 2023 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)

The National Weather Service office in Memphis has dispatched a team of three people to Wynne to survey the storm damage and determine if a tornado struck the city on Friday.

"It'll probably be a multi-day survey," said Andy Chiuppi, a meteorologist with the Memphis office. "We may have preliminary information in next couple of days."

Chiuppi said it may be difficult to reach some areas because of blocked streets.

"Obviously, there's a lot of damage, " he said.

Chiuppi said winds were still strong Saturday, and that could hamper efforts to do an aerial survey. He said the area was getting 20 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 35 mph.

He said the tornado that went through Wynne tracked through Crittenden County into Tennessee, where it caused more damage in Covington.

Upcoming Events